Hello, Friends!On April 1, the New American Art Foundation marks a significant moment with two major public initiatives that expand access to contemporary art in New York:
—The launch of our presence on Bloomberg Connects, the global digital platform created by Bloomberg Philanthropies to make arts and culture accessible to audiences worldwide.
—The opening of Crisis of the Image, a new exhibition at our gallery space, 55 Bethune Street. NewYork, NY 10014.
Curated by founder and executive director Phoebe Legere, the exhibition features works by Peter Beard, Alice Neel, Larry Rivers, Anthony Haden-Guest, Rick Prol, Nina Sobell and others, examining the shifting meaning of images in an era defined by digital saturation.
Legere reflects on the moment:
“Before the digital age, the salons where patrons, aesthetes, and artists gathered to shape modern art were closed worlds. Bloomberg Philanthropies has created a visionary model of cultural access for anyone with a mobile phone—honoring the democratic ideals at the heart of our mission. We are proud to join this global community of institutions.”
A full press release follows below my signature.
Thank you for your consideration, and we would be delighted to welcome you on April 1.
Warm regards,
Charles Richard
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2026
New American Art Gallery Celebrates Art Opening Noise and Flesh: Crisis of the Image and Debuts on Bloomberg Connects
Exhibition Opening Reception: Tuesday, April 1, 6–8 PM · Exhibition on View April 1–May 20, 2026
NEW YORK, NY — The New American Art Gallery, the public face of the New American Art Foundation and a vital steward of living American culture, announces two landmark events unfolding simultaneously on April 1, 2026: the opening reception of its new exhibition, Noise and Flesh: Crisis of the Image, and the official launch of the Foundation's digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, the prestigious free arts and culture application created by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
New American Art Gallery, situated at 55 Bethune Street — in the legendary Westbeth Art Center complex in the heart of Manhattan's Chelsea Art District, steps from the Whitney Museum of American Art — is the headquarters of the New American Art Foundation (formerly the Foundation for New American Art). The Foundation's permanent collection constitutes an irreplaceable archive of the East Village High Renaissance (1980 – 1990): paintings, sculptures, video works, and audio recordings that document one of the most combustible and consequential moments in the history of American art. Alongside this historic patrimony, the Gallery continuously presents and champions the most frontier-edge visionary artists working today.
The Foundation is directed by Phoebe Legere, whose curatorial vision has shaped the institution from its inception. As host and head writer of Roulette TV, the celebrated television program that spotlighted the most barrier-breaking and pioneering artists and musicians of the contemporary moment, Legere honed a commitment to artistic courage and formal risk that she now carries forward as Executive Director.
The New American Art Foundation is dedicated to nourishing and amplifying the visionary artists who constitute the lifeblood of contemporary American culture — with particular attention to voices from underrepresented communities. In addition to its exhibition program, the Foundation offers free public panels, festivals, and performances, as well as free after-school, Saturday, and summer programs for low-income creative youth, educating the visionary artists of tomorrow while celebrating those of today.
Noise and Flesh: Crisis of the Image
On view April 1, 2026 through May 20, 2026, with an opening reception on Tuesday, April 1, from 6 to 8 PM, Noise and Flesh: Crisis of the Image confronts a cultural moment defined by collapse and saturation: a contracting art market, political disorientation, and images emptied of meaning by data, theory, and the relentless churn of trend. The exhibition calls for work that breaks decisively from the spectacles of contemporaneity and reclaims art as a site of intuition, risk, and inner necessity. The exhibition includes works by Alice Neel, Larry Rivers, Peter Beard, Anthony Haden-Guest, Rick Prol, Nina Sobell, Barnaby Ruhe, Darrell Thorne, Joan Belmar, and Ethan Shoshan.
Drawing together diverse media and interdisciplinary approaches, Noise and Flesh invites work that resists reduction and affirms the spiritual, embodied, and eternal dimensions of human experience. This exhibition seeks a way forward through noise, toward flesh, soul, and the miracle of being human. The admission is free and open to the public.
New American Art Foundation Joins Bloomberg Connects
Concurrent with the opening of Noise and Flesh: Crisis of the Image, the New American Art Foundation officially launches its digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and cultural application created by Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Foundation joins more than 1,400 of the world's most distinguished cultural institutions — botanical gardens, historic houses, outdoor sculpture parks, and world-class museums — on a platform that makes art accessible from any mobile device, in any location, in over 40 languages. The Foundation's guide offers photo, audio, and video content illuminating its permanent collection, current exhibitions, public events, and educational outreach programs.
Bloomberg Connects is an expression of Bloomberg Philanthropies' longstanding commitment to digital innovation in the arts, reflecting founder Michael R. Bloomberg's conviction that cultural access is a public good. The platform features expert commentary, engaging audio content, accessibility features, interactive maps, and is available through Google Translate in more than 40 languages — ensuring that the collection and programs of the New American Art Gallery are available to any person, anywhere in the world, at any hour.
"It has been a pleasure to partner with Bloomberg Philanthropies on the preparation of our guide. Their support for our mission and their excitement as they learned about our collection, our public service, and our educational programs encouraged us. Bloomberg Connects is an extraordinary platform — beautifully and thoughtfully constructed. Before the digital age, the salons where patrons, aesthetes, and artists gathered to forge the movements that defined modern art were sealed behind walls of privilege that almost no one could breach. Bloomberg Philanthropies has created truly visionary cultural access for anyone with a cell phone — honoring the democratic ideal at the heart of everything we do at the New American Art Foundation. We are honored to take our place alongside the prestigious cultural institutions that comprise this community. When we travel, we learn about sister institutions in other cities and countries. That is how art gets made: through cross-pollination, fertilization, and inspiration." — Phoebe Legere, Executive Director, New American Art Foundation
A selection of high-resolution images is available here: https://www.foundationfornewamericanart.org/press-images.html
About New American Art Foundation
The New American Art Foundation (formerly the Foundation for New American Art) is dedicated to presenting, preserving, and curating the work of artists from underrepresented communities who represent the lifeblood of American culture. The Foundation's permanent collection encompasses landmark works of painting, sculpture, video, and sound from the East Village High Renaissance, as well as major works by the most visionary artists of the contemporary moment. In addition to its exhibition program, the Foundation provides free public panels, festivals, and performances, and offers free after-school, Saturday, and summer programs for low-income creative youth. The New American Art Gallery is located at 55 Bethune Street, New York, NY 10014, in the Westbeth Artists Housing complex.
About Bloomberg Philanthropies
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2023, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $3 billion. For more information, visit bloomberg.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Foundation for New American Art
Vice President, Charles Richard
212-777-7052
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| Anthony Haden-Guest |
